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Fare V. Arizona Case Brief

Decent Essays

In the matter of Fare v. Michael C. (442 US 707) (1979), Michael, the offender, was arrested on suspicion of murder in Van Nuys, California. Michael, 16, was already on probation and had a long history of criminal offenses. Before any questioning, Michael was advised of Miranda Warnings, per Miranda v. Arizona. Upon being informed of Miranda Warnings, Michael had requested to see his probation officer. This request was denied by law enforcement. Michael C. had never asked for an attorney and, upon his request being denied, Michael proceeded to make statements without an attorney present. These statements made to law enforcement eventually led to Michael incriminating himself. In the juvenile court proceedings, Michael filed a motion to suppress the statements on the basis that his request to see his probation officer had been denied, therefore invoking his right against self incrimination. Michael argued that this request was the same as requesting an attorney. The Court …show more content…

The Court’s reasoning was that the probation officer is “a trusted guardian figure” in the juvenile’s life and a request of Michael’s probation officer “indicated that the minor intended to assert his Fifth Amendment privilege (Oyez.org, n.d.).” Additionally, the Supreme Court of California ruled in People v. Lara that courts will examine the voluntariness of a juvenile’s statement by reviewing “the juvenile’s age, intelligence, education, experience, and ability to comprehend the meaning and effect of the statements made” (Elrod & Ryder, 2014, p.144-145). The Court also held that it satisfied a state law requirement that the probation officer represents the juvenile’s interest (Chudacoff, 1980). The California Supreme Court opined that the confession should not have been

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